This book had me riveted. I couldnt wait to get back home and read it. Brown grabs you and places you smack dab in the lives of these women. I personally became attached to the women and found myself hoping that they would eventually be ok.

Although I found this book to be almost too depressing to continue reading, this was a very interesting, well written book. Louise Brown gives an in-depth point of view of daily life in Lahore, following the lives of several characters and families as she personally visits them over a seven year period. Through her portrayal of their lives, one can gain a great understanding of a world and culture so completely different from our own. I found it very sad to learn that children are really truly being exploited in that part of the world and because it is just so accepted as a norm, the cycle continually repeats itself.

Very well written, honest, and truthful.

This is exactly the wounded punjabi culture due to the invasions by Turkish, Arabian and Persian Dacoits (Mohammad bin Qasim, Ghaznavi, Ghauri, Abdali), whom are thought of as "Great Islamic Warriors". The Kanjari and Mirasi are the "castes" given to people who earn their living by dancing=Kanjari and singing/jesting=Mirasi. In the modern world the great Mirasi (world record of singing most songs) is Mohammad Rafi (born in nai=barber caste and became mirasi=singer) from Amritsar., who really earned fame, respect and money through his artistic skill.

A highly recommend book that shows deep insight into current Lahore that is devoid of real cosmopolitan nature since 1947., originally it was a city of Madho Lal Hussain and Ranjit Singh., not anymore.

Lahoris should be ashamed of their wounded past and revert back to Punjabi culture!

This is exactly the wounded punjabi culture due to the invasions by Turkish, Arabian and Persian Dacoits (Mohammad bin Qasim, Ghaznavi, Ghauri, Abdali), whom are thought of as "Great Islamic Warriors". The Kanjari and Mirasi are the "castes" given to people who earn their living by dancing=Kanjari and singing/jesting=Mirasi. In the modern world the great Mirasi (world record of singing most songs) is Mohammad Rafi (born in nai=barber caste and became mirasi=singer) from Amritsar., who really earned fame, respect and money through his artistic skill.

A highly recommend book that shows deep insight into current Lahore that is devoid of real cosmopolitan nature since 1947., originally it was a city of Madho Lal Hussain and Ranjit Singh., not anymore.

Lahoris should be ashamed of their wounded past and revert back to Punjabi culture!

THis is a very interesting book that seeks to expose and tell the stories of the prostitute caste of women who inhabit the slums of Lahore. Despite the fact that Islam claims to be 'against caste and race' there was a caste(or class) of dancing women who lived in India for a long period and they became islamified. Ironically despite the fact that Pakistan claims to be a 'shariah law' inspired 'moral' society in fact it sanctions mass prostitution by 12 year old 'daninc girls'. This is part of the hypocrisy of the Pakistani regime which executes people for blasphemy and funded the Taliban in the name of fighting western 'immorality' and yet here you ahve rich pakistan imams and politicians raping 10 year olf girls under the guise of 'tradition' and 'culture' in the Hari Mandi district of Pakistan's capital.

This is an interesting book and it seeks not to condemn or to judge but to exoticisize the women who give pleasure for money. However like most historical work today this book is completely indoctrinated by moral relativism so there is no critique or any daring to condemn the hypocrisy of a 'moral' soceity of religious fanatics that sanction mass rape of a people who are called a 'caste' and who have no hope of ever escaping thier 'role' in Palistan's Islamic society.

There is no attempt by the author to step back and ask 'is this logical' or 'is this correct' or 'is this society full of contradictions and lies'. If this book had examined prostitution in a conservative mid-west American town it would have condemned as hypocrisy any local conservatives who went to the women, but becuase it is about another 'culture' it cant bring itself to do the same. Hence there is slight racism in the treatment of this 'culture'. But nevertheless this doesnt completely take away from a very interesting story.

Seth J. Frantzman

Dancing Girls is a little too long but well written. Brown from England, lives in the Pleasure District for weeks at a time. This can be very painful reading, very young girls are raised to be prostitutes, neglect and abuse are rampant. But I am curious as to how and why Brown (an academic) can leave her own daughters back in England.

Excellent!!! The only way to describe this book.

you have the stomach to digest the extremes of how mankind can suffer, bear the pain, and still find a reason to live. Written from first hand witness accounts of the author, it takes you into depths few will venture to go. It is hard to believe that such conditions exist anywhere in the world, that caste system (spoken or otherwise) can destine multiple generations into being little more than lust objects.

I happened to chance on this book while browsing in one of the national book retailers during a visit to Boston - and could not stop once I got started. The narrative grips you, and even without any pictures in the book the author paints a vivid image of what it is like in the dark areas of Pakistan.